The Justice Department slammed Baltimore police in a scathing report — and the city has been scrambling to make changes

Vanita Gupta, the head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, on Wednesday discussed the department's findings on the investigation into the Baltimore City Police Department. She was flanked by Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, left, and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. Associated Press/Brian Witte The Department of Justice released a damning report on Tuesday night slamming Baltimore's police department after documenting evidence of discrimination against African-American residents and a pattern of unconstitutional conduct.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Baltimore officials said they had already begun taking action to overhaul the city's police department.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said the city and its police department had "not been standing still" while the DOJ's 14-month investigation was underway.

Baltimore's police commissioner, Kevin Davis, told the news media that the department had zero tolerance for officers who had committed "egregious violations," adding that he had fired six police officers in 2016 alone.

"Those who have left this agency deserved to leave this agency," he said.

Rawlings-Blake said the city was anticipating a cost of $5 million to $10 million annually to implement reforms — an estimate based on the costs other cities have faced when overhauling their police departments.

The city is investing in technology and infrastructure to "modernize" the department, Rawlings-Blake said, including installing recording cameras inside police vans and continuing to roll out body cameras for officers.

The department is also revising 26 police department policies, including the policy guiding use of force, and overhauling the way officers are disciplined and held accountable.

"It's so very important that we get this right," Rawlings-Blake said.

"The findings are challenging to hear, but let me be clear: I never sugarcoat our problems, nor will I run away from our most pressing challenges."

Those disparities not only suggest overt discrimination, they contribute to communities' distrust of police, which in turn makes it more difficult for police to prevent and solve crime, the report found.

The DOJ found that victims and witnesses frequently refuse to share basic information with officers, due to the lack of trust that police will treat them fairly.

"Our investigation found that, through all levels of the Baltimore Police Department, from members of command staff down to officers on the street, the department has not implemented fundamental principles of community policing," the report said.

The DOJ also detailed "serious concerns" surrounding sexual-assault investigations, noting several "troubling" statements officers and detectives made to victims, including in one instance, "Why are you messing that guy's life up?"

In the wake of the report, the DOJ will negotiate a court-enforceable consent decree with the city over the coming months.

The DOJ's investigation began after the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray in April 2015. Gray died from neck injuries sustained in the back of a police van after he was arrested.

Similar consent decrees have been enforced by the DOJ in recent years to reform other cities' police departments, including that of Ferguson, Missouri.